Are your life choices affecting your smile?

At Elite Dental we are big advocates of the links between oral health and overall health, so we sought out some local identities to give us the lowdown on what they think are the most important things you can do DAILY to achieve a healthier lifestyle. We spoke to Staten Island personal trainer Jason Serapiglia about his journey to good health, as well as PR professional Marlene Markoe-Boyd who gave us her top tips to stay at the peak of your fitness game, and finally our own Dr. Steve Acker about lifestyle choices.

Jason Serapiglia – Pique Fitness Staten Island

As an executive or business owner, you have many people vying for your time. Most high achievers have built out successful careers, great families and are active in their community as well. Sometimes, however, we forget to schedule some time for ourselves and because of that our health, happiness, and performance can suffer.

Jason says

At age 29, I was 290lbs, had no energy, no drive and developed a heart condition due to my lifestyle. It wasn’t until I took control of my life and my health that I realized how deeply it was affecting me. Getting your health back on track is not only crucial for your success but for the continued success of all the people that depend on you.

Few people get into their car, put on their seat belt, adjust their mirrors and just drive relatively unconcerned with where they are going. Unfortunately, this is the way many people deal with improving their health. They do a little of this, adjust a little of that, and for the most part, wing it. The single most important thing you can do daily to live a healthy lifestyle is to have a clearly defined idea of what ‘healthy’ is for you, and then develop a system to get there.

When you review your clearly defined health and wellness goals daily, all of your decision making will revolve around these outcomes. They become your compass that keeps you on course for consistent, committed behaviour that leads to lifelong healthy living. Two steps you can take right now to get started are setting SMART goals, and developing a routine to review your SMART goals every day.

Setting a SMART goal is as easy as making sure what you want to achieve is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time–sensitive. Saying you want to lose some weight and feel better is a good goal, but saying you’d like to lose 25lbs by December 31st is a SMART goal.

Take your list of goals and write them out on three index cards. Keep one in your wallet, one next to your bed and bring one to the office. When you get up in the morning, read your goals to yourself and do the same before you go to bed. Keeping your health at the top of your mind by reviewing your SMART goals on a daily basis is the best thing you can do to ensure it becomes a part of your life forever.

Marlene Markoe-Boyd – MLM Public Relations

Marlene Markoe-Boyd co-owns MLM Public Relations with her business partner, MaryLee Montalvo. Together they have over two decades of experience in public relations and represent a variety of small to medium-sized business and non-profits, telling their unique stories every day.

Marlene Says

Everybody knows that business owners are always incredibly busy, especially small business owners. Keeping on top of your health as a business owner may seem almost impossible when you have staff to manage, clients and customers to interact with, paperwork to attend to and a business to grow. After taking into consideration all of the daily tasks it takes to run a business swiftly, I’ve come up with a few top tips to stay on top of your health game.

Try to exercise before the start of the business day. As much as I think I will exercise after work, I’m just drained. Exercising in the morning is also beneficial. For me, it clears my head and puts a spring in my step for the rest of the day.

Try to use part of your break time away from work on social media. ‘How will this help?’ you may ask… Well instead of getting caught up in the noisy part of social media, as in checking on what other people are doing, try to look for articles on pages that are related to healthy living to see if there are some new tips or new information to incorporate into your lifestyle. I like to use blogs as well. Just Google ‘health blogs’ and away you go because there are plenty out there.

Talk to your colleagues. See what keeps them eating healthily and what makes them stay on track with their own exercise routines. My business networking group just started a walking group. Group exercise, especially with your peers, can make the workout go quickly and perhaps make for some interesting conversations.

Lastly, if you are on the run in your business all day and you feel like you are practically living in your car, keep healthy snacks handy. Nuts and granola bars are weather resistant and will help you avoid getting that sugary snack with the afternoon coffee you needed so badly.

Steve Acker – Elite Dental

When you think of dentistry, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? The typical response is usually people with cavities and crooked teeth. What many people don’t realise is that the root of many oral issues often stem from poor lifestyle choices. Many patients come in with poor oral hygiene and think that the issue has originated only in their mouth, when in reality there is a much larger picture with several influences that play a part in maintaining good oral health.

Dr.

Steve says

At Elite Dental, we are proud to be a leader in practicing, studying, and educating patients on the relationship between comprehensive oral health and total body wellness. As a member of the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health, I take pride continuing my education for my patients, and this means I have devised my own plan for keeping mouths healthy.

Besides brushing and flossing regularly before bed, check that you’re getting a proper night’s sleep. If you think that your sleep is being jeopardized by sleep apnea, try our oral appliance therapy. This therapy grants us the ability to reduce snoring, and the medical risks associated with sleep apnea.

Get a check-up. Poor oral health has been linked to several general health chronic illnesses, including pneumonia, prostate cancer, stroke, heart disease, problem pregnancy, diabetes, and breast cancer.

Ask your dentist about the types of bacteria in your mouth. A simple oral DNA test can now determine the specific type and quantity of disease-causing bacteria in your mouth. These bacteria, if left untreated, can cause periodontal disease, tooth loss, and also increase your risk of developing other systemic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes among others.

In honor of Children's Dental Health Month, we're hosting an exciting event about myofunctional therapy, and how your child's breathing could affect their health for the rest of their life. This event will take place at our office on Monday February 26 from 4.30pm